The US Justice Department has announced charges against five men for an alleged plot to carry out an attack to kill government officials and others attending the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Freedom 250 event held at the White House, using drones with explosives.
The FBI launched an investigation into the plot and identified a group of conspirators who procured weapons and made plans to carry out the attack, said a press release. The FBI made arrests over the weekend in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, and California. The investigation remains ongoing.
The conspirators allegedly planned to deploy drones armed with explosives in and around the UFC Freedom 250 event in order to force an evacuation of the event and then planned to deploy snipers to fire upon “high value targets” within the fleeing crowd, said a Justice Department statement.
If convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a USD250,000 fine. Conspiracy to commit violence on White House grounds carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
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(Image: Office of the White House)